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Building a Culture of Innovation on the North Side

Pittsburgh’s North Side is poised to become Pittsburgh’s newest center for innovation. Faros Properties announced a new renovation project for the office space in Allegheny Center: the newly dubbed Nova Place. The space will be home to a new tech incubator, refreshed lounge space, new restaurants, and coffee shops. Desmone Architects be working on several parts of the overall complex.

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This came on the heels of Faros announcing that the Parkview Apartments, the four apartment buildings of Allegheny Center, have reached 100% occupancy. When Faros acquired the property, one of the buildings was completely vacant; the others were sparsely populated, only adding up to half-occupancy. Updates to the 800-apartment complex include new gym space, game rooms, lounge areas, and fire pits.

The overhaul of Allegheny Center on the North Side is just the most recent stage of upgrades to the North Side. Some of these changes may be seen as long overdue, such as the upcoming renovations to the ARC House and a portion of East Ohio Street that are in line with the Deutschtown-East Deutschtown strategic masterplan. These efforts should result in a new restaurant and catering business and refurbished utilities, among other enhancements — which include new bike lanes and sidewalk patterns to encourage walking.

Allegheny Commons Park will also see changes as Lake Elizabeth receives a new water recirculation system. This project will lower the frequency at which the water in the 3-feet deep lake is changed to prevent stagnation. It is estimated to save $129,000 in revenue and will serve as a model for similar changes coming to Lake Carnegie in Highland Park.

These projects will bring Allegheny Center and East Ohio Street up to the aesthetic and innovative standard of the rest of the North Side and nearby Cultural District of Downtown. The Parkview Apartments and Nova Place are in walking distance to Heinz Field and PNC Park, the Children’s Museum, the Mattress Factory, the Warhol Museum (which we renovated!), Heinz Hall and the Benedum Center. Desmone is proud to be a part of these efforts to revitalize Allegheny Center and enrich the North Side.